Method for preparation of an aqueous glyphosate concentrate

Abstract

A method for preparing an aqueous mixture of glyphosate salts to improve the handling of the mixture, the method comprising forming a homogeneous mixture of at least two bases comprising at least one alkali metal hydroxide, and at least one further base selected from alkali metal hydroxides and nitrogen bases and reacting the mixture of the at least two bases with glyphosate acid in an aqueous reaction medium to provide an aqueous mixture of glyphosate salts wherein the concentration of glyphosate (based on glyphosate acid equivalent) is at least 200 gae/L.

1 . A method for preparing an aqueous concentrate mixture comprising salts of glyphosate and at least one other acid herbicide to improve the handling of the mixture, the method comprising:
 forming a homogeneous mixture of at least two bases comprising at least one alkali metal hydroxide, and at least one further base selected from alkali metal hydroxides and nitrogen bases,   forming a mixture of at least one other acid herbicide with glyphosate acid; and   reacting the mixture of the at least two bases with the mixture of glyphosate acid and at least one other acid herbicide in an aqueous reaction medium to provide an aqueous mixture of herbicide salts, wherein the concentration of glyphosate (based on glyphosate acid equivalent) is at least 200 gae/L and wherein the total acid herbicide salts, including glyphosate is at least 360 gae/L and the mole ratio of total alkali metal hydroxides and nitrogen bases:total acid herbicides is in the range of 0.9:1 to 1.3:1.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein said forming the homogeneous mixture comprises forming a premix of bases by mixing the bases to form the homogeneous mixture and wherein said reacting comprises reacting the premix with the mixture of at least one other acid herbicide with glyphosate acid in the aqueous reaction medium. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the mixture of at least two bases includes at least one nitrogen base selected from the group consisting of ammonia, C 1  to C 10  alkylamine, di-(C 1  to C 6  alkyl)amine, tri-(C 1  to C 6  alkyl)amine, C 1  to C 10  alkanolamine C 1  to C 6  alkyl(C 1  to C 6  alkanol)amines and di-(C 1  to C 6  alkyl)(C 1  to C 6  alkanol)amines. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the at least one alkali metal hydroxide is selected from the group consisting of sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide and lithium hydroxide. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the mixtures of bases include at least two alkali metal hydroxides selected from the group consisting of sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide and lithium hydroxide. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein when the mixture of bases include potassium hydroxide and ammonia or isopropylamine then at least one further base selected from said alkali metal hydroxide and said nitrogen base is present. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein when the mixture of bases includes at least two of potassium hydroxide, ammonia and isopropylamine then at least one further base is present selected from said alkali metal hydroxide and said nitrogen base. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the concentrate of glyphosate salts is at least 360 gae/L. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the concentrate of glyphosate salts is at least 450 gae/L. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the concentration of total acid herbicide salts, including glyphosate, is at least 450 gae/L. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the concentration total acid herbicide salts, including glyphosate is at least 600 gae/L. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein at least one nitrogen base is present including at least one of ammonia, mono-(C 1  to C 10 ) alkyl amines, di-(C 1  to C 4 ) alkyl amines and tri-(C 1  to C 4  alkyl) amines. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the nitrogen bases comprise at least one of ammonia, methylamine, dimethylamine, isopropylamine, diisopropylamine, triethylamine. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the mixture of at least two bases includes at least one selected from the group consisting of sodium hydroxide, ammonium, methylamine, dimethylamine and triethylamine. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the mixture of bases includes at least three bases. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein said reacting is carried out at a temperature in the range of from 5° C. to 80° C. 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the at least one other acid herbicide is selected from the group consisting of dicamba, clopyralid, picloram, 2,4-D, MCPA, 2,4-DB, mecoprop, mecoprop-P, glufosinate, diclofop and fluazifop. 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the at least one acid herbicide is selected from the group consisting of dicamba, clopyralid, 2,4-D, MCPA and mecoprop. 
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 1  further comprising addition of a surfactant, at a concentration in the range of from 0.1 to 20% by weight of the aqueous concentrate composition. 
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 19  wherein the surfactant comprises one or more selected from the group consisting of quaternary ammonium surfactant; etheramine surfactants; alkylether and amine surfactant combinations; acetylenic diol and alkyl(poly)glycoside surfactant combinations; lipophilic fatty amine ethoxylate surfactants; alkoxylated amine surfactants; betaine surfactants; alkyl polyglycoside agents; secondary or tertiary alcohol surfactants; silicone copolymer wetting agents and trialkylamine oxide or quaternary amine or trialkylbetaine surfactant combinations; sorbitan fatty acid ester and amine, quaternary ammonium or alkylglycoside surfactant combinations; surfactants derived from alkanethiols; polyoxyalkylene trisiloxane surfactants; super-wetting agents comprising silicone-based and fluorocarbon-based surfactants; supra-molecular aggregates comprising one or more amphiphilic salts having a glyphosate anion and cation derived by protonation of secondary or tertiary oily amines; falkoxylated primary alcohol surfactants; alkyl polysaccharide derivates; alkyl polyglycoside and ethoxylated alcohol combinations; alkylglucosides; surfactants comprising polyhydroxyhydrocarbyl and amine functionality; alkylglycoside and alkoxylated alkylamine surfactant combinations; alkyldiamine tetraalkoxylate surfactants; succinic acid derivatives; alkoxylated amido amines; sugar glycerides; diamine surfactants; widely-bridged alcohol polyethoxylates; water-soluble long-chain hydrocarbyl dimethylamine oxides and quaternary ammonium halide combinations; hydroxyalkylammonium adjuvants; polyether diamine surfactants; cationic, anionic, nonionic or zwitterionic silicone adjuvants; organosilicone surfactants and diphenyl oxide sulfonate surfactant combinations; a range of ether phosphate adjuvants; phosphorous surfactant adjuvants; polyglycerol and polyglycerol derivatives; C 8 -C 22  sarcosinate or sarcosinate salts; ethoxylated vegetable oils; polyethoxylated dialkylamine surfactants; C 10 -C 18  alkylpolyglycol ether sulfates; Sucrose & Sorbital Surfactants; Sorbitan Esters; Ethoxylated Saccahrose Esters; Coco Amido Propyl Dimethylamine Akyldimethylamines; Phosphated Esters Tallow Amine Surfactants; Trisiloxanes; TEA and MDEA Esterquats; Dimethylethanolamine based Esterquats; Saccharides; Alkyl Polypentosides (APP); Polyglycerines; Etheramine Alkoxylates; Sorbitan Monolaurate; Pine Terpinic compounds; Cocoamine ethoxylates; Acrylates & Latex compounds; (Ethoxylated) Oleyl Alcohols; Alkylamine Alkoxylates; Etheramine Alkoxylates/Alkyl Etheramine; Quaternary Ammonium Salts/Ammonium Quaternary Derivatives; Quat Amines; Amine Oxides; Dialkoxylates Amines; Alkyl Alkoxylated Phosphates; Aminated Alkoxylated Alcohols; Dialkoxylated Amines; Carboxylates; Alkylethersulfates; Disodium sulfosuccinates/Succinates; Polyether Amines; Cocoamidopropyl betaines and salts of fatty acids.